Rockin the US campaign trail

Posted Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 4:24 PM by Lonely Planet

Covering the 2007 national elections in Australia as an American journalist I found the affair to be generally civilised, consisting of measured debate, deep, dry policy scrutiny and only a vague sense of political backbiting.

I certainly never wrote "Band kicks ass" in my reporter's notepad.

But that's the sort of thing you scribble when watching the American elections live, and guess what travellers? You too can witness our ridiculous leader-of-the-free-world selecting system at this very moment! C'mon; the dollar is weak and you only get one presidential election every four years.

Here's what a South Carolina rally for Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was like. The opening act was rock stars Lucas War Hero - yeah, I'd never heard of them either, but isn't that a great band name? Makes you want to scream LUCAS WAR HERO! and throw a mini-fridge out of a hotel window - on stage with Ric freaking Flair, 16-time professional wrestling world champion. Chuck Norris (uh, yeah, Chuck Norris) was supposed to be there, but he got held up. Anyways, the crowd heart-ed Huckabee and the whole show, and I'm not ashamed to admit I did too.

This is why American elections are so fun. Other systems are analytical, less-money obsessed and short on spectacle, and they're bloody boring. As a traveller and journalist I've yet to see other Western elections illicit the full-throated passion I witnessed in South Carolina. Sure, we elect morons. But the Australian election system is the most dignified one I've yet seen, and voters there kept John Howard in office for 11 years. If it's gotta be a moron, at least make it a colorful one. Come see us pick our next moron while you can.

- Adam Karlin

Labels: Festivals and events, The Americas, Travelsnitch

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